Longer Boats Up Norf

[noddyboater]

10 minutes ago, peterboat said:

No I am on about the one that wins Crick boatshow on a very regular basis, I think he got first, second and third one year?

But that's a volume thing isn't it?

If you're building that many shells each year that go off to various fitters out, there's bound to be a glut of them at Crick.

A bit like saying Ford are the best maker of cars because they've won "car of the year" more than Aston Martin,  or Rolls Royce,  or Ferrari. 

I'd guess that none of the real elite of narrowboat shell builders have ever had one on display at Crick,  and couldn't give a toss.

[PD1964]

21 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

 

I'd guess that none of the real elite of narrowboat shell builders have ever had one on display at Crick,  and couldn't give a toss.

Who would you say are the elite builders? 
  I don’t think the shell builders are that bothered by Crick but the fitters are I would say, fills their order books for a couple of year from what I see.

 What do you think of RW Davis shells?

[peterboat]

15 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

But that's a volume thing isn't it?

If you're building that many shells each year that go off to various fitters out, there's bound to be a glut of them at Crick.

A bit like saying Ford are the best maker of cars because they've won "car of the year" more than Aston Martin,  or Rolls Royce,  or Ferrari. 

I'd guess that none of the real elite of narrowboat shell builders have ever had one on display at Crick,  and couldn't give a toss.

Three places building boats, all of them virtually built to order, all of the boat builders doing the work have a long history of doing it, I would say that is giving the market what it wants. As for crick its about the best in show, to the people voting the makers don't matter, it's how well finished the boat is. If you don't want to enlighten us about your boat that's fine. But 15 years ago I can't remember anything exceptional in Sheffield boat wise

1 minute ago, PD1964 said:

Who would you say are the elite builders? 
  I don’t think the shell builders are that bothered by Crick but the fitters are I would say, fills their order books for a couple of year from what I see.

 What do you think of RW Davis shells?

Jonny is mate believe me

[MtB]

1 hour ago, noddyboater said:

I'd guess that none of the real elite of narrowboat shell builders have ever had one on display at Crick,  and couldn't give a toss.

 

^^^This^^^

 

The elite shell builders I can think of only build a shell once in a while, and are simply not geared up to cope with the half a dozen orders a boat displayed at Crick might generate.

 

On the other hand the probable price of such a shell might just be laughed at by the average Crick boat buyer, and no orders result.

 

"Ow much?!!" "I can get a whole finished boat for that sort of price", kinda thing....

 

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by MtB
Damned spell checker interfering...

[noddyboater]

1 hour ago, PD1964 said:

 

 What do you think of RW Davis shells?

I think Phil is a real character and knows more about boats than many of the other fabricators currently turning them out. I'd say his heart is in salty water stuff,  especially old lifeboats which he's very passionate about. 

I'm not personally a real fan of the "Traders" he builds, a bit over the top for me, but his earlier simpler shells are very good. 

I'd guess he'd turn down building something he didn't like the look of and lose a customer,  like Mr Hudson mentioned before. 

[IanD]

49 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

^^^This^^^

 

The elite shell builders I can think of only build a shell once in a while, and are simply not geared up to cope with the half a dozen orders a boat displayed at Crick might generate.

 

On the other hand the probable price of such a shell might just be laughed at by the average Crick boat buyer, and no orders result.

 

"Ow much?!!" "I can get a whole finished boat for that sort of price", kinda thing....

 

 

I think anyone naive about steel costs and the boat market today is likely to go "Ow much?!?!" when confronted by the price of a new shell from any of the high-quality builders, elite/boutique or not -- like in the old saying, if you need to ask you probably can't afford it... 😞

 

And no I'm not going to give any numbers, that's between me and Finesse... 😉

Edited April 24, 2022 by IanD

[IanD]

2 hours ago, noddyboater said:

But that's a volume thing isn't it?

If you're building that many shells each year that go off to various fitters out, there's bound to be a glut of them at Crick.

A bit like saying Ford are the best maker of cars because they've won "car of the year" more than Aston Martin,  or Rolls Royce,  or Ferrari. 

I'd guess that none of the real elite of narrowboat shell builders have ever had one on display at Crick,  and couldn't give a toss.

 

Just bear in mind that being "elite" and "hand-crafted" usually means a more expensive product, but not always a better one. Many of the "elite" car brands were famously badly designed, badly put together, expensive to buy and maintain, and rusty and unreliable -- usually until they got taken over by a bigger company with the resources and knowledge about how to make cars properly, who also then pushed the volumes up -- which has of course happened to every single one of the marques you mentioned... 😉

 

"Elite" by dictionary definition means rarer, but doesn't always mean better -- sometimes quite the opposite if you want something that actually works as opposed to just looking pretty 🙂

Edited April 24, 2022 by IanD

[cuthound]

5 hours ago, peterboat said:

No I am on about the one that wins Crick boatshow on a very regular basis, I think he got first, second and third one year?

 

Who votes for the "best in show" boats?

 

If it is the visiting public, many (most) will not be experienced enough to notice quality curvy steelwork and high quality joinery and vote for shiny paint and the number of home comforts.

 

I guess it took me 10 years or more of canalling regularly before I began to appreciate the more subtle differences between boats.

[TheBiscuits]

19 minutes ago, cuthound said:

I guess it took me 10 years or more of canalling regularly before I began to appreciate the more subtle differences between boats.

 

Widebeams vs narrow boats, that sort of thing?

[cuthound]

1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Widebeams vs narrow boats, that sort of thing?

 

I may need glasses but my eyesight isn't that bad (yet)... 🤣😅

[peterboat]

57 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

Who votes for the "best in show" boats?

 

If it is the visiting public, many (most) will not be experienced enough to notice quality curvy steelwork and high quality joinery and vote for shiny paint and the number of home comforts.

 

I guess it took me 10 years or more of canalling regularly before I began to appreciate the more subtle differences between boats.

They notice them when buying! As Jonny says curves cost money! When ordered boats its surprising how fast spec changes when they get a price🤣

[peterboat]

37 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

I may need glasses but my eyesight isn't that bad (yet)... 🤣😅

A true story, the exol pride was cruising to Eastwood lock, Lesley a friend was moored at the moorings in her Briganteen the skipper of the Pride hit her! Snapping her moorings ropes and forced her into the lock! Her boat was 60 x 13, it was early in the morning but not dark, the skipper excuse for hitting her was he mistook her for a narrowboat!! 🤣 the boat was damaged in the collision as they were both jammed into the lock entrance. The paintwork was also scorched by the exhaust from the bowthruster and it had some large dents down the hull side 😩

[ditchcrawler]

6 hours ago, noddyboater said:

But that's a volume thing isn't it?

If you're building that many shells each year that go off to various fitters out, there's bound to be a glut of them at Crick.

A bit like saying Ford are the best maker of cars because they've won "car of the year" more than Aston Martin,  or Rolls Royce,  or Ferrari. 

I'd guess that none of the real elite of narrowboat shell builders have ever had one on display at Crick,  and couldn't give a toss.

The people who vote at Crick 99% don't have a clue about hulls, they just look at floating cottages

[peterboat]

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

The people who vote at Crick 99% don't have a clue about hulls, they just look at floating cottages

Not true I have been on Jonnys stand and listened to customers quizzing him about details. When were you last there? We are going this next time for a day which is enough 

[Tacet]

There was a happy time when there was more variety - converted pontoons, lifeboats, stern wheelers, noddy boats, half-ends and all manner of home-adapted craft. with dubious ingenuity

 

Whilst each modern, purpose-built leisure narrow boat is a superior product, there is a loss of overall character and interest from the shoe-string enthusiasts' craft.  It was often said in the 1970s that the canal and scenery was the same no matter how much you spent.

[peterboat]

Yeah just watching million pound barges: Luxury living it's a strange world out there!

[noddyboater]

2 hours ago, peterboat said:

 We are going this next time for a day which is enough 

I remember going to Crick show once for a day as I had free tickets. 

That was enough for a lifetime. 

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

I remember going to Crick show once for a day as I had free tickets. 

That was enough for a lifetime. 

 

Good job it was free then, eh.

[noddyboater]

Just now, The Happy Nomad said:

 

Good job it was free then, eh.

Wasn't a totally wasted day, I bought a cheap bog for my van.

Personally,  I'd rather spend a day boating. 

[Guest]

Just now, noddyboater said:

Wasn't a totally wasted day, I bought a cheap bog for my van.

Personally,  I'd rather spend a day boating. 

 

You could have done that on eBay.

[noddyboater]

11 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

You could have done that on eBay.

You learn by your mistakes. 

From memory only half the trade stands had anything to do with boats,  the rest were like something from Skegness market. 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

You learn by your mistakes. 

From memory only half the trade stands had anything to do with boats,  the rest were like something from Skegness market. 

 

I enjoyed Crick both times. And we paid to get in.

 

Never been to Skegness market so can't comment on your comparison.

[noddyboater]

1 minute ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

I enjoyed Crick both times. And we paid to get in.

 

Never been to Skegness market so can't comment on your comparison.

You should go, I think you'd enjoy it. 

It's free to get in too. You won't see Peter there though,  unless Jonny has diversified and took a tat stall on selling seaside shite.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

10 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

You learn by your mistakes. 

From memory only half the trade stands had anything to do with boats,  the rest were like something from Skegness market. 

They selling Tilley hats in Skeggy now?

 

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

You should go, I think you'd enjoy it. 

It's free to get in too. You won't see Peter there though,  unless Jonny has diversified and took a tat stall on selling seaside shite.

 

What exactly are you on about?